Friday, May 11, 2007

A study that will no doubt transform some religious fundamentalists into ardent supporters of scientific research overnight finds that oral sex puts people at high risk of throat cancer. HPV infection seems to be the big culprit, again, lending more support to the vaccine that fundies have vocally opposed. So expect a renewed vigor to be applied to opposition to the HPV vaccine. The Landover Baptist Church could very well do good business in these. If good Christians don't want their little girls to grow up to be fluffers, then by all that's good and holy, keep them away from modern medicine!

In the meantime, I'm sure all socially conscious women out there will rush to get the vaccine as soon as possible  for the pubic, erm, the public good, don't you know. After all, a humming society is a happy society! Or something like that.

Well, I believe the HPV vaccine that's out there is strictly for women. Debate continues to swirl. I'm seeing reports that its effectiveness is solid, others that it's questionable. More science, and less politics, is obviously needed.

Just fyi, Lance Armstrong weighed in last night on a TV interview where he came out saying that it would be neglegent to _not_ make it mandatory. That's a pretty strong stance, since even here in Texas, where people were freaking out about it, they allowed for parents to choose whether or not their kids should have it. I was surprised to hear such a strong endorsement (but I guess it makes sense coming from a cancer survivor). He said that as far as the "promiscuity" argument--that's where parenting comes in.

It really pisses me off that they only tested this thing on adult women and children and excluded adult men. men can get throat, Anal and a number of other cancers from HPV. Straight men get HPV. Where do straight women get it from. It also amazes me that trials were ended early moral ground so women who got the placebo could get the vaccine. Yet obviously it is moral not to test men or give a damn about men.. What should we expect it is the 21st century who gives a crap about men.

Personally, I was thinking of the professionals who were vocal about the vaccine still having not received enough vetting: there was a lot of political push, and then the big rush (such as Texas trying to make it immediately mandatory for all school-age women) when first released; yet it could put some groups into a higher risk, and I do wonder what it'll do to competing strains that just gained more room to move into, as well as what affect it'll have if the thing must mutate to survive.

But as far as a vaccine goes, if there was more control, testing, and perhaps being more selective about administration (so as not to put some at unnecessary risk: particularly those already HPV-infected), then overall it's a great idea.

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PLEASE NOTE: The Atheist Experience has moved to a new location, and this blog is now closed to comments. To participate in future discussions, please visit http://www.freethoughtblogs.com/axp.The Atheist Experience is a weekly live call-in television show sponsored by the Atheist Community of Austin. This independently-run blog (not sponsored by the ACA) features contributions from current and former hosts and co-hosts of the show.